21, Theatre Road, Calcutta (on University of Calcutta printed notepaper). - If Trevelyan thinks the "Acacia Tree" is below standard, he should not print it: Suhrawardy has sent it because of [A.E.] Coppard's letter and because Aldous Huxley had liked it and included it in his 'first literary venture' [the "Palatine Review", see 6/124]. Was worried in case the book would seem 'amateurishly slight'. Is upset because he has had a letter today from [Marie] Germanova saying they [she and her husband Kalitinsky] are going to move to a small three-roomed flat and let 14 Nungesser et Coli, saving less than fifteen pounds a year; he wants them to live as comfortably as they can since they are 'all three' [including the dog, Rex] old. For their last days there, they will have Bev and [their son] Andrée there, as well as his own nephew who has finished his school at Hastings and Germanova's nephew from Russia. Is so glad Julian and Ursula went to see them. Asks if there is still time to get three hundred copies of the poems instead of two hundred: it may be possible to sell some; only wants two hundred to be bound. Calcutta 'humming with political excitement' about the Andaman convicts on hunger strike; students are out in the streets protesting against the government, in which his brother (whom Trevelyan once met) is the Labour Minister. Asks how Bessie's eyes are, and whether Trevelyan had heard of Ross Masood's sudden death; he was [E.M.] Forster's friend.
21, Theatre Road, Calcutta (on University of Calcutta printed notepaper). - Has tennis-elbow from playing badminton. The books [his "Essays in Verse"] arrived at the beginning of the week: they are beautifully printed and he is very grateful. It is sad they are a little too late to help him get the jobs he wanted, but he may not have succeeded anyway. Is glad Trevelyan has sent copies to the people he mentions: does not see Desmond MacCarthy's name on the list; hopes he will send one, as he would much like to hear his opinion. Asks for copies also to be sent to: [Marie] Germanova: Edwyn Bevan: Brian Lunn: Amelie Brázdová; [Monica] Bridges or Elizabeth [Daryush]; Alison Hooper of Monkswood, Great Hallingbury; Malcolm Muggeridge at "Time and Tide"; Mrs Ikramullah; Simone Téry; and B [Bev] Kalitinsky. Is negotiating with Macmillans to try to bring out the book in India. Would be good if Trevelyan could have a hundred copies sent over; asks what the book should be priced, in shillings. Feels much closer to Trevelyan now there is airmail. Will soon have out a book of essays about art, called "Prefaces" since 'all knowledge we possess is a preface to real knowledge... the Indian idea'. Is also bringing out the first of a series about Bengal folk art which the University is publishing under his general editorship. Saw Tagore a fortnight ago when he came to stage 'one of his new social plays', which Suhrawardy appreciates; he spoke 'very affectionately' about Trevelyan; he is disturbed about Japanese aggression in the Far East, contrasting the Japanese and Chinese instinct to court death like moths to the flame with the Indian 'habit of slow annihilation of self'; he has had to shave his hair and beard after his illness and so sees few people but 'still appears beautiful'. Asks Trevelyan to let him know readers' opinions of his book, particularly Bessie and Julian's.
A postscript notes that he has only received five copies of the book, though Trevelyan had said he was sending fifty; asks if Birrell and Garnett could take some copies for sale to 'curious Indian students'.
21, Theatre Road, Calcutta. - Is having two books sent by the University to [Bernard] Berenson and [Laurence] Binyon. Is starting from Bombay on the 26 July by an Italian boat to Venice; will be in Paris by about 10 August. Would like to see his young people [Andrew and Bev Kalitinsky] in Zürich in their new home. His father is coming too and wishes to visit England to go to Harrogate and to see his cousin (whom Trevelyan once met with him in a Spanish restaurant) so Suhrawardy hopes to be in England soon after 20 August and to visit the Trevelyans before their holidays. Only important mistakes are to be mentioned in the errata list of his book ["Essays in Verse"], so as 'not to exhibit to the world the inefficiency of the [Cambridge] University Press'. Agrees it was very stupid of him to have put 'Sophoclean' instead of 'Euripidean' and hopes few people will notice. Has received a 'delightful letter' from Will Rothenstein praising the book; is glad he did not take Suhrawardy's 'ironical references to Jewish writers on the Continent' amiss.
26 rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne s[ur]/Seine. - Very happy to see Mr Trevelyan, Julian and his wife [Ursula]: Mr Trevelyan looks well and seemed his old self from before his operation; most 'invigourating [sic]' to talk to him about the theatre; she explained how she 'managed the chorus in Medea'. Ursula is 'so quiet, so peaceful and trustful', with something 'so true about her', and Julian is 'radiant' with happiness, and 'now a man'. Very good of him to bring Ursula to see them; Andrusha was there too. He is now 'friendly with a Canadian girl' [Laura Beverley Robinson?] who is nice: 'egoistic, as all the young ones [are]', but she 'works, and has lot[s] of energy'. Maria is not sure how to act towards her; thinks the 'best thing to be tolerant and a little blind', but sometimes this seems 'cinical [sic]'. Worried that André does not sleep enough because of his work; lets him sleep very late when he is here, even though this means he does not have much time with her. She, her husband and son all send best wishes for a happy new year.
21, Theatre Road, Calcutta (on University of Calcutta printed notepaper). - Has not heard from Trevelyan for six months: received no reply to the letter he wrote from the boat. Was saddened by a reference to [Clifford] Allen in the "Statesman of Calcutta" due to Allen's kindness to him and what he knows his death will have meant to Trevelyan. He too has been 'much in contact with death' recently. Has received the first volume of Trevelyan's "Collected Works", which is a magnificent book; was proud to see his name above the letter printed in "Rimeless Numbers". Needed to read 'pure and straightforward poetry'; realises more and more the 'trumpery in modernistic verse'. Was happy to think the book might have kept Trevelyan's 'mind steady' at the time of Allen's death. Is looking forward to the second volume. News from Europe is very worrying; Allen would have been 'invaluable' at this time. Clings to the hope of peace, but asks 'if bullies should not be punished'. Very hard to be away from Europe, which he feels to be his real home, and has no share in the exultation of many Indian nationalists at the idea of 'a new Pacific culture on the debris of Europe'. Hopes to come over, if only for a few weeks, in the autumn. Andriusha [Kalitinsky] and his wife have decided to move to the USA, and Suhrawardy worries about his friends left behind in Paris.
40 Theatre Road, Calcutta. - Has sent many letters to Trevelyan to which he has received no reply; hopes that he and Bessie are well and have not suffered during the war. He is well but has changed profession: now is a member of the Public Service Commission, Bengal, selecting candidates for government posts in the region. Is glad to leave teaching, but has very few holidays; is saving these up so as to be able to come to Europe. Has only had one letter from Trevelyan, saying he was sending a recent book, which never arrived. Had no news of [Alexandr] Kalitinsky nor Andriusha [his son] and his wife, but has recently received an air mail letter from Bev. She has gone there from the US as she is expecting a child. Andriusha has been working in an aircraft factory and is now an American citizen; was recently appointed a naval lieutenant, in engineering, and is posted in France. He found his father still alive but looking much older due to his sufferings during the occupation. Andriusha wants to take him back to the States, but as well as visa difficulties he is reluctant to leave the place where Maria [Germanova, his wife] is buried. Hopes he will be able to see Trevelyan next summer. Very excited about Labour's victory in the elections; only wishes Lord [Clifford] Allen had been alive to guide the party. Relieved at the news of the defeat of Japan: passages will be much easier now.
5 rue Denfort Rochereau, Boulogne s[ur]/Seine. - Wonderful that there is peace for Christmas. Was in a 'Uni-Prix' shop, a 'sort of "Woolworth"' in Boulogne yesterday; there were many children there and it was very touching to see their 'joy and admiration of "père Noel"'. A[ndré: her son] and B[ev: his wife] are not coming to stay, but will be ski-ing at Grindelwald; her sister is in Germany, so they are 'alone with old Rex [the dog]'. They will not feel lonely since she is now working in the Russian theatre; it is a joy to help the other actors and be useful; [her husband] Alexandre Petrovitch helps her and is interested to see the public who come to performances: the older ones 'weep very much' and the younger ones laugh a great deal'; 'joy is needed nowadays'. Is working on a new play, and the theatre is also putting on "Uncle Vanya" again: Chekhov's plays are 'always so liked'. Has seen fragments of his letters to his wife, and it is strange 'how unlike him they are. They are not simple, natural' and cannot be compared with the letters of Pushkin and Tolstoy, and are as if he is 'all the time playing, hiding himself'; a friend who knew him suggested this was his wife's influence; she always felt uneasy leaving him in the Crimea to act in Moscow'. Is not happy about playing "Uncle Vanya" again, as she feels too old for the part of Helena; asks Bessie if she could possibly send any old dresses she does not need for her costume. Bob sent her a very nice letter and she is working well since he told her not to 'hurry so much': will send two more chapters to Rudker [John Rodker?] tomorrow, and has handwritten four more; now one more remains to be written about America. Her days are very full with rehearsals and writing; thanks God that her 'heart is so clever'; thinks work is the best medicine for it. Asks Bessie if she hasread any of the translation of her book, as she is anxious to know what she thinks.
40 Theatre Road, Calcutta. - Wrote last November but received no reply, so is trying once more: asks if he could recommend a young man to the Master of Trinity [Trevelyan's brother George] for admission next Michaelmas. The usual way is to approach the Master through the High Commissioner, but is afraid that 'our best men do not get places in the good colleges' since these are 'reserved for sons of people who have rendered loyal service to government'. Has know the young man since childhood, and he is the nephew of their mutual friend Apurva Chanda. Had news of Trevelyan from [E.M.] Forster when he was here for the P.E.N. conference. Hopes Bessie and Ursula got the packages of tea and butter he sent from Darjeeling. Enjoyed reading Trevelyan's study of Chinese poetry ["From the Chinese"]. He himself studied Chinese intensively for two years, learning about two thousand characters; unfortunately he is now forgetting them all as the Chinese community in Calcutta diminishes. Has translated the poems of Lee How Chu [Li Yu] with the help of a Chinese poet [Liu Yih-ling]; the book is with a local publisher and he will send a copy when it comes out. Is afraid he may not be able to come over in England as he had planned; only people 'living at Delhi and known to the Viceroy and his councillors' are getting foreign missions and passages. Andriusha [Kalitinsky] and his wife had a daughter last October; longs to meet [Trevelyan's grandson] Philip Erasmus and was very touched by his poem on him.
14 rue Nungesser et Coli, Paris XVI. - Bob and Bessie are very kind to 'our young people'; thanks them very much. Andrusha got their letter yesterday, on his and his wife's return from their civil marriage. Does not think they will be back in Zurich until 20 Mar; will write to Bob when she knows definitely. Bev will be 'very happy and satisfied to have the Shakespeare'. Mrs Robinson [Bev's mother] arrived with her daughter and son arrived in Paris on Friday; they all came to tea, and Maria decorated the flat with spring flowers 'to meet our bride'. Andrusha came on Saturday with his friend; she did not get much sleep that night due to excitement. The necessary civil marriage took place in the morning, after which she gave Andrusha 'a glass of Champagne and a Russian 'pirujak' [gateau] and mandarines'. Her husband took Bev's family to the Russian church, while she accompanied the young couple and their witnesses. Describes the religious ceremony, which everyone found very touching and charming. Mrs Robinson then gave the family lunch at her hotel, and the young couple took a taxi to the Gare de l'Est at five.
Boulogne S[ur]/S[eine]. - Will be very good to see Bob soon. The orthodox Christmas will be on January 7, and the next day is sacred to the Virgin Mary; she will go to church those two mornings if she is well enough, but will keep the afternoons for Bob. This is their first Christmas Eve alone: they 'cannot not celebrate it', though it is the 'European' feast day, and they feel 'lonely without the young ones [their son and his wife]'. Sending Christmas and New Year wishes to the Trevelyans.
Postcard also signed by A[leksandr] Kalitinsky.
5 rue Denfort Rochereau, Boulogne S[ur]/S[eine]. - Is very 'touched and grateful' for the attention Bob has given to his book; is lucky that the [English] translation will be reviewed by Bob; begs him to be totally objective. Left the clinic [in Zurich] three weeks after her operation, stayed with Andrusha and his wife at their flat for a week, then travelled back to Paris. This was very tiring, but she wanted to get back to her husband and Rex [the dog], and did not want to tire Bev who was still suffering from jaundice. Aleksandr Petrovitch did not look well, after the worry about her operation, and living alone far from the rest of the family. She is still 'very weak', but feels much better than before the operation; hopes to be herself again in a few more weeks. Has had a letter from Bessie; asks Bob to 'kiss her' for her; she will reply soon. Is very sad she cannot go to Osny yet, since the weather is so 'tempting to go "ins Grüne"'.
Mrs Germanova is very ill with a 'spasm at the place where she was operated'; this is very painful and prevents her from eating or drinking so she is very weak; this is why she has not replied to Trevelyan's letter, but she asks the nurse to say how glad she was to receive it. She asks him to keep the Russian typescript [of her memoirs], as this is the safest place for it; but she would like to read the English translation, not for the language, as she is sure with Trevelyan correcting it it will be 'perfect', but as she is afraid the 'former translator has changed some ideas or facts'. It is however not the time to send typescripts between countries. She sends her love to Trevelyan and his wife, and to Julian and Ursula. Her son and his wife are in New York already, and seem 'very hopefull and energetic'.
Hears Julian is going to Paris, so may see [Maria] Germanova; if he does, wonders if he could, through 'tactful leading questions', find out how her finances and ability to pay for the flat stand; he has been paying the whole rent for about the last year, but she has said that after the marriage of Andreyusha [Kalitinsky, her son], he would not need to do so, as the new bride's father would give the young people enough money to be independent. [Hasan Shahid] Suhrawardy need therefore no longer send a large part of his salary to support Andreyusha, but instead could pay for the flat. She may not need any help from Bob, but he feels uneasy; Suhrawardy's last letter said that he had 'never been so poor as now' so perhaps he is sending more than he can really afford to Germanova. Does not want them to be in any monetary distress, but it is difficult to write about all this directly to her. Went to see Udai Shankar yesterday, and 'delight[s] in him, and the Indian music as much as ever'. Hopes to see Julian and Ursula before too long.